Other people's unfinished projects
With the arrival of autumn, yard sale season may be winding down - but it only takes one sale to make it all worthwhile. In Northampton, PA, deep in the land of warehouses under construction, we found ourselves in a cul de sac, facing a driveway filled with random stuff. Randy actually got out of the car for this sale, and without him, I would have missed this unfinished project, priced at four bucks. In addition to the coach pictured here, there are enough parts for a second one. I especially love the wheels, which remind me of my friend Stephanie Smith's mandalas. And here's my big question - should I paint this? What color? Fancy or plain? In the meantime, the wrestlers climbed on board and cooked up a spooky tale, perfect for the season...
The wagon sat by the side of the road. The horses were long gone. "Kidnapped!" gasped the driver. "Creatures came down from the sky, riding on a big spinning plate, and snatched 'em right up before my very eyes!" The guys who had come to help exchanged glances. They'd heard stories like this before, but this one was different. For one thing, there was a second witness - the old man, the only passenger. "Never seen anything like it," he growled. "Never in all my days." (We watch too much Ancient Aliens around here...) Please welcome - Skateboard Guy!
On Friday, I actually lost count of how many houses we visited, although most of them were walk-throughs with no purchases. This is partly because I blew $40 at the first location of the day, on a much-needed cedar chest that now sits in the living room and holds all my yoga blankets and pillows. Friday's scores seemed to be all household stuff; in addition to the chest, we came home with a stone plate for baking pizza and a lightweight, Joan-sized folding garden chair. Still, somehow - I felt incomplete. We were not done yet. So on Saturday morning, while Randy stayed home and practiced guitar for an audition later in the day, I hit the road again. Discovered that for every sale on the list, there were two "unadvertised specials." And that's where we found Plastiqueville's newest citizen - Skateboard Guy! Just in time for the Tokyo Olympics. Please note Skateboard Guy's size, relative to Mr. Tiger Pants (who wishes I would impose some limits on the newer residents).
Beefsteak tomatoes in Plastiqueville
We're gardening again this year, the usual tomatoes and peppers on the deck. Interestingly enough, our cherry tomatoes seem unusually small, but amazingly sweet. Go figure. But, as far as the citizens of Plastiqueville are concerned, they're beefsteaks! Mr. Tiger Pants is very proud to show off our latest harvest. There will be more! Day Lily Day
Several citizens of Plastiqueville traveled to Slatington, PA today, to enjoy some time in Anne Zagarella's day lily garden. Anne is a member of the Palmerton Camera Club, as am I, and every year, she opens her backyard to club members and day lily nerds. This year, Knitting Lady chose to spend some time sheltered by a large bloom, and you can decide whether she simply looks peaceful, or whether she's in danger of being picked up by one of those claw thingies you see in vending machines at the Jersey shore. The little people wish they'd spent more time with the day lilies, but the temperature was rising rapidly. We did some home with over 300 images, of which over 200 were worth keeping. Not bad for a morning's work. And it seems that we weren't the only ones in day lily heaven. Here's an ant, eagerly approaching his career path...
Some like 'em big
But wait! It gets better. I posted the image in all the usual places (Facebook, Instagram, Flickr) - and much to my great astonishment, it went viral. At this writing, we're at 285 shares on Facebook, more than I ever had on any image! I was really hesitant to post it - after all, who wants the world to see you dragging a lawnmower around your yard in 90 degree weather? But apparently this guy is really nice, and somewhat well-known in the neighborhood. His house has even made it onto the Roadside America website, which is hugely cool, IMHO. So maybe I'll have to print this out and slip it in his mail slot. I think we have something in common. |
